The California governor’s race is starting to take shape — and if Rep. Eric Swalwell’s campaign launch is any indication, it’s going to be a bumpy ride for Democrats. In what may already qualify as a contender for the most tone-deaf political ad of the cycle, Swalwell’s debut effort has landed with all the subtlety of a bad TikTok skit, drawing widespread ridicule for its awkward attempt to appeal to Gen Z voters.
The ad features 13-year-old “political influencer” Knowa De Baraso — a name unfamiliar to most voters and political watchers alike — standing next to a grinning Swalwell who seems to think proximity to youth and internet culture equals relevance. The result? Cringe over substance. It’s less “campaign message” and more “midlife crisis on camera.”
HOLY CRINGE! Let’s check in on Eric Swalwell’s run for California Governor pic.twitter.com/cGpRMtrNFT
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 21, 2025
Missing entirely from the video is any mention of how Swalwell plans to fix California’s deeply entrenched problems: soaring homelessness, failing infrastructure, rampant crime, and a cost of living that has driven working- and middle-class families out of the state in droves. Instead, we’re left with a glossy attempt at virality, which only further underscores just how hollow Swalwell’s candidacy appears to be.
And that hollowness isn’t just confined to bad marketing. Swalwell’s actual legislative record isn’t doing him any favors. According to reports from both The Sacramento Bee and The New York Post, Swalwell currently holds the worst attendance record in Congress. Most House members miss around 3% of votes. Swalwell? He’s skipped nearly 8%, or 95 out of 342 roll calls in 2025 — and counting. That’s more missed votes than Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who passed away nine months ago. Since launching his gubernatorial bid, Swalwell hasn’t voted once.
Omg
Watch Eric Swalwell try to throw a football pic.twitter.com/X2D2VrLtmm
— JVT (@jvtentertains) December 22, 2025
That doesn’t scream leadership. It screams dereliction.
Yet somehow, despite the absenteeism, the cringe-factor ad, and the glaring lack of substance, Swalwell leads in the Democratic primary polls. That speaks volumes about the current state of the California Democratic Party — a party that, after nearly two decades of single-party control, has overseen the deterioration of the nation’s most populous state.
California is sinking faster than the Titanic, and the Democrats come up with this buffoon as a solution? https://t.co/7qBYWOHvbm
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) December 22, 2025
Former Gov. Gavin Newsom has already left California saddled with a projected $68 billion deficit, crumbling infrastructure, and an education system that lags behind even as the state boasts the highest taxes in the country. Swalwell’s campaign — shallow, media-chasing, and absent on policy — feels less like a break from that legacy and more like a continuation of it, dressed up with hashtags and influencer endorsements.
Meanwhile, Republican candidates are zeroing in on real issues: school choice, public safety, economic revitalization, and parental rights. They’re talking about how to clean up cities plagued by homelessness and crime. They’re proposing tax relief and deregulation to make California livable again. They’re showing up — in person, not just online.
And in California — where dysfunction has been normalized and failure routinely rewarded — that reset is long overdue.
